Practical English Usage has sold over 2 million copies worldwide. Now revised and updated for the fourth edition, it answers the questions that teachers and learners ask about English grammar and vocabulary with clear, corpus-informed explanations and examples.

NEW Organisation into two easy-to-use parts, making it quicker to find the information you want:
1. A complete topic-by-topic student's grammar, with section introductions highlighting common mistakes. 2 A guide to key vocabulary topics, including an A–Z list of common word problems.

Practical English Usage is recommended for any teacher, trainee teacher, or advanced-level student looking for answers to questions about the English language. The material is now organised in two parts (grammar and vocabulary), making it easier than ever to find the answers, either online or in print.

Part 1 is a complete practical learner's grammar with 28 sections, covering all the structural points that cause problems for learners.

Part 2 is a guide to vocabulary problems covering:

rules for word formation and spelling

a survey of high-priority vocabulary areas

an A–Z guide to over 250 common word problems

The 600+ entries provide answers to the questions that learners typically ask, for example:

The entries in Practical English Usage are not only informed by Swan’s authoritative knowledge of English grammar, but by a sure sense of which aspects of the grammar are likely to be problematic, and how these can be most effectively explained.

- Henry Widdowson, Emeritus Professor of Education, University of London